Photography: Stathis Mamalakis
The design and construction of the hair lab in Aghia Paraskevi was a rather big challenge for the architect, due to the very strict time and budget limits. The program, as requested by the client, was not only based on the design and construction of a functional working space, but also required a unique space that would follow the advanced methods of hair styling of our times. The combination of hair colouring and the technologies that are used, helped in the formation of the basic conceptual idea.
The new working space is more than just a hairdresser’s shop. It is a hair ‘lab’. Thus the space was given an industrial aesthetic. The existing suspended ceiling was demolished and an amazing bare -concrete ceiling was surprisingly revealed. It has a total height of 4.20 metres. This became the first industrial material used in the design. All the black linear lighting fittings are suspended from the ceiling as well as the ventilation and air-conditioning system.
The floor was covered by a layer of polished cast-concrete in plum-grey colour and comprises a unified base for all the different areas of the work space: the waiting area, the main working area and the massage chair’s area. The main working area has a continuous counter and above this, 4 tall mirrors. In between those mirrors one can see the lighting slots inside the wall, which emphasize the verticality of the space. Apart from the bare (raw) materials of the floor and the ceiling, all the custom-made furniture are made of chipboard and plain steel. In response industrial materials used, the wall behind the reception desk also reveals the use of old bricks.
Generally the design and construction of the hair ‘lab’ was based in the openness, the verticality of the place and the use of raw industrial materials.
